bcsmith42's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Rapid City, South Dakota

Cosmos Mystery Area

A place where the laws of nature seem to have gone completely berserk... but of course haven't.
Rapid City, South Dakota

Hotel Alex Johnson

One of America’s oldest and spookiest hotels, thanks to the residency of ghosts, dead presidents, and Alfred Hitchcock.
Murdo, South Dakota

Okaton Ghost Town

The deserted railroad town had a last gasp as a ghost town attraction before being abandoned for good.
Fackler, Alabama

Neversink Pit

This natural wonder drops 16 stories straight down through rare flora and streaming waterfalls.
Seale, Alabama

The Museum Of Wonder

A former taxidermist has turned his old shop into a folk art mecca.
Millbrook, Alabama

Spectre Set Ruins

The remains of an idyllic small town built for the film 'Big Fish' still stand around a rundown main street.
Scottsboro, Alabama

Unclaimed Baggage Center

One person's lost luggage is another person's treasure.
Austin, Texas

Cathedral of Junk

This unique structure in suburban Austin is made up entirely of other people's castaways, and constantly changing.
Montgomery, Alabama

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum

The former home of the hard partying literary power couple is now one of the only museums devoted to their story.
Oakland, California

Jonestown Memorial

The memorial to the victims of the Jonestown Massacre carries the names of 918 lost, including one name people wish wasn't there.
Oakland, California

Children's Fairyland

This Oakland fairytale kingdom, fiercely devoted to childlike whimsy, was an early inspiration for Disneyland.
Inyo County, California

Saline Valley Hot Springs

A hard-to-reach oasis in a desolate corner of Death Valley National Park.
Los Angeles, California

The Music Box Steps

The site of a classic series of Laurel and Hardy pratfalls.
Garden Grove, California

Christ Cathedral (Crystal Cathedral)

Megachurch turned Catholic church comprised of 10,000 glass panes.
Gilroy, California

Gilroy Gardens

Home to the "Circus" trees created by Axel Erlandson.
San Francisco, California

Presidio Pet Cemetery

A monument to the love people have for their pets.
Ione, California

Preston Castle

One of the oldest reform schools in the United States, home to wayward boys such as Merle Haggard, now abandoned.
San Francisco, California

Short Story Vending Machine

With the touch of a button, you can read a randomly selected short story.
San Francisco, California

San Francisco Center for the Book

This shop and studio is dedicated to the art of the book, from letterpress to bookbinding.
Mono County, California

Hot Creek Geological Site

This naturally heated mountainous creek has created a group of neon blue pools of potentially deadly boiling water.
Los Angeles, California

Café Jack

A "Titanic" superfan changed his name to Jack and set up this strange shrine to the blockbuster, complete with Korean food and Tarot readings.
Big Pine, California

Methuselah Tree - Ancient Bristlecone National Forest

Once thought to be the oldest living tree in the world, Methuselah was germinated before the Egyptian pyramids were built.
Los Angeles, California

Idle Hour

The programmatic glory of LA's giant whiskey barrel building has become an upscale reminder of the city's kitschy roadside past.
Los Angeles, California

The Magic Castle

The private clubhouse for the members of the Academy of Magical Arts.